Lyme disease, a tick-borne ilness that can cause long-term problems in some who catch it, is a growing health threat. The number of cases reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2019 was up more than 50% from 2004, and a warming climate is expanding the areas and seasons in which ticks thrive. This year, weather conditions may result in a larger-than-average tick population and increased risk of exposure, yet no vaccine is available. Sam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Opinion contributor who covers the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Intelligence, answers questions about the disease and when protection might arrive. The conversation has been edited and condensed.
What is Lyme disease and how do you get it?
